Refrigeration coil for premix fountain



Dec. 25, 1962 E. A. LANDRY REFRIGERATION COIL FOR PREMIX FOUNTAIN Filed Feb. 25, 1960 V Everett A. Landry 1N VEN TOR.

BY M @5 2- iv x2 United States Patent 3,069,870 REFRIGERATION C(HL FOR PREMIX FOUNTAIN Everett A. Landry, 17 Paris St., Waterville, Maine Filed Feb. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 16,980 2 Claims. (CI. 6239()) The present invention generally relates to a cooling coil or refrigerating coil mounted in a premix fountain for cooling the beverages being dispensed.

There currently is in use a number of different types of fountains for dispensing premixed beverages. One example of such a fountain is one distributed by Cornelius Company as disclosed in Patent No. 2,871,675 which includes a drawer-like structure for receiving crushed ice. The drawer-like structure is provided with a metallic bottom structure against which the ice rests together with a multiplicity of tubular members disposed against the outer surface of the bottom and side walls of the drawer through which the premixed beverage is dispensed for cooling such beverages. manner is rather unsatisfacory due to the time required in replenishing the supply of ice and draining the water formed by melting ice. Further, the cooling action of the ice is unsuflicient to properly cool the beverages if the beverages are being dispensed at a relatively high rate.

Therefore it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a cooling coil in the form of a refrigeration evaporator disposed against the bottom surface of the drawer of the premix fountain for cooling such bottom surface thereby cooling the tubular members by conduction and lowering the temperatures of the beverages being dispensed to a desired optimum level with the cooling coil being thermostatically controlled for maintaining the proper temperature even though the material being cooled is dispensed at a relatively high rate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling coil in accordance with the preceding object in which the cooling coil is not provided with any valves but incorporates a capillary tube for retaining a pressure differential in the system and providing for expansion of liquid refrigerant into the cooling coil for absorption of heat from the bottom of drawer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cooling coil which also forms an accumulator to prevent excessive liquid from being drawn into the compressor while it is operating.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling coil for a premix fountain which is simple in construction, easy to install, easy to control, efiicient for its particular purposes and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the premix fountain with the cooling coil of the present invention installed therein with portions of the drawer being illustrated in section;

FIGURE 2 is a detailed sectional View of the cooling coil and its relationship to the bottom of the drawer and the tubular member disposed thereunder; and

The use of ice for cooling in this 3,069,870 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 ice FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement of the components of the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a premix fountain while the numeral 12 generally desingates the refrigeration coil or cooling coil of the present invention.

The fountain 1 0 is in the form of a drawer having an outer wall 14 and an inner bottom 16 and an inner side Wall 18 spaced from the outer walls 14 respectively and retained in spaced relation by a top edge wall 20. Mounted along one side of the fountain is a plurality of dispensing faucets 22, each having an operating handle 24- and including an adapter 26 extending through into the interior of the drawer. Connected to each adapter 26 is a tubular line 28 which extends to the ends of the drawer and then are connected to adapters 30 that in turn are connected with longitudinal tubular members 32 of metallic construction which are secured to the outer surface of the bottom 16 and the side walls 1%. In previous practice, the interior of the drawer is filled with ice and the cooling tubes 32 are cooled by convection. However, in this invention the bottom member 16 is cooled by the cooling coil 12 and the tubes 32 are cooled by conduction. The tubes 13 may be termed soda cooling coils.

The cooling coil 12 includes a serpentined member 34 having a capillary tube 36 connected to one end thereof and connected to the discharge of a condenser in a refrigeration system with the end coil of the member 34 being designated by the numeral 38 and overlying the adjacent coil with the terminal end of the coil 38 being connected to the section line as for the compressor 4-2. Disposed on the coil 38 is a heat sensing bulb 44 connected with a control panel 46 whereby the compressor 42 and condenser 48 are operated simultaneously by the electric motor 50 which also serves to drive a fan for the condenser 48. The sensing bulb 44 is secured to the coil 38 by a clip 46.

In operation, the cooling coil is installed on the bottom 16 of the drawer and the usual compressor, condenser and control apparatus are provided. By operation of the compressor in the usual manner of a refrigeration cycle, the cycle will generally beof a short cycle nature and the thermostatic control for the device will provide sufficient refrigeration to the coil for cooling the beverage regardless of the quantity thereof discharged.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modification and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a premix soda fountain having a receptacle including an inner wall and an outer wall spaced therefrom and connected thereto, soda cooling coils disposed against the outer surface of the inner wall in heat exchange relation thereto, a plurality of dispenser nozzles mounted on said receptacle, a plurality of tubes extending through the interior of the receptacle and connecting the soda tubes with the dispenser nozzles, a refrigerated coil mounted on the inner surface of the inner wall in heat exchange relation thereto for cooling the inner Wall and the soda tubes mounted on the exterior surface thereof, said refrigerated coil including a plurality of convolutions forming an evaporator, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant condenser, a capillary tube communicating the condenser with the evaporator coil, a thermostatic control for the compressor including a heat bulb mounted on the discharge convolution of the refrigerated coil, said refrigerated coil including a discharge convolution overlying the remainder of only the convolutions and forming an accumulator for evaporated refrigerant thereby assuring entry of gaseous refrigerant into the compressor.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,803,118 Lewis Aug. 20, 1957 2,871,675 Cornelius "Feb. 3, 1959 2,929,228 Gould Mar. 22, 1960 2,951,352 Nicholson Sept. 6, 1960 

